Cold War over; Nuclear Threat Not Weapons Capability Spreading to Other Nations, CIA Official Says

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POLITICAL INSTABILITY since the fall of the Soviet Union has
raised questions about the security of nuclear weapons, a CIA
official said Tuesday.

"A few countries whose interests are inimical to the U.S. are
attempting to acquire nuclear weapons - Iran and Iraq being two of
our greatest concerns," said David Osias, a CIA national
intelligence officer for strategic programs.

"Should one of these countries or a terrorist group acquire one
or a few nuclear weapons, they could deter U.S. political or
military actions, threaten or attack deployed U.S. forces or allies
or possibly conduct an attack against the U.S.," Osias told Sen.
Richard Lugar, R-Ind.

Lugar is a presidential hopeful and chairman of the Senate
Foreign Relations subcommittee on European affairs.

Lugar, the only subcommittee member present for the first of
two days of hearings, said he doubted if Congress, President Bill
Clinton's administration or even the Russian government was
devoting enough attention to the problem.

"It's a governmental failure," Lugar said Tuesday. "I called
these hearings to elevate us so that we all are up to speed."